LA UNIÓ denounces the proliferation of South African oranges on the shelves, despite not being exported due to the presence of pests
LA UNIÓ de Llauradors has denounced that many Valencian supermarkets have the orange-filled lines of South Africa, despite having more than enough local supply to provide the markets and the fact, even more worrying, that the South African citrus sector has suspended its exports to the European Union, due to the presence of the disease of pests, among them the Black Spot (Citrus Black spot), in shipments.
From LA UNIÓ criticizes that “it is the South Africans who paralyze their exports before the community authorities themselves, despite having evidence and clear confirmations of the plagues in that country”
Carles Peris, responsible for the citrus sector of LA UNIÓ, believes that “it is an absolute lack of ethics that our supermarkets and supermarkets are full of oranges from South Africa, when exports are suspended and over with our oranges to supply without problems to all these chains“.
It was not until September that seven interceptions from South Africa by Black Spot on the part of the European authorities and another eight from the Thaumatotibia leucotreta had been officially registered, but in October they appear to have increased considerably, which has been able to provoke the reaction of the South African citrus farmers before to avoid greater evils. These are the known interceptions because it is necessary to indicate that they do not enter from Spanish ports, but fundamentally they do it from other ports as it is the case of the Dutch of Rotterdam.
From UNIÓ it is pointed out how, once again, it is clear that are justified their complaints, made on repeated occasions, about the risks of South African exports because of the numerous diseases harmful to citrus fruits that they have declared and whose presence in the Comunidad Valenciana, fortunately, is not detected at the moment. The pressure exerted from the citrus sector as a whole, with special participation on the part of said organization, makes the actions of the South African are watched carefully.
Peris indicates that “it is an evidence therefore that some of the large supermarkets or supermarkets with significant presence in our territory are alien to a possible entry of plague or disease that could infest citrus cultivation in the Valencian Community and continue to sell oranges from South Africa, something that is legitimate but that does not seem ethical to us “.
The existence of oranges in Valencian supermarkets contrasts with the scarce presence of South African mandarins on the shelves during the months of the campaign and with the fact that when the locally produced oranges began to be commercialized, they practically disappeared from the exhibitors.
Source: LA UNIÓ de Llauradors i Ramaders
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